Boards›Player Behavior

Stop saying "this is just a game"

Aír··31 votes·3,257 views

Okay, this may be a rage thread, but this is seriously pissing me off. Let me just give a recent scenario to you guys. I was playing another ranked game and our mid and top were doing quite poorly. The mid fizz was 14-1 by 20 min into the game and top Hec was 10-2. Post game, rather than staying quiet, or acknowledging they just had a bad game (cause legit guys, we all do, even I do sometimes while also having my awesome games too), our mid laner said the most infuriating and tilting words ever:

"It is just a game."

So that makes it okay to feed? And to rage at teammates? So rather than saying to yourself "I did badly, let me see what I did wrong so I can fix it in the future" you say "Idgaf and I will keep doing my mistakes because this is only a game and it doesn't matter anyway."

Cause here is the thing, this is not just a game. This is a community, a new world. A livelihood for some (LCS pros) and an incredibly important hobby to others (like myself). We can make long lasting friends here. Or we can play on our own to feel that thrill we don't always experience in our normal day to day life. Whether we are Bronze or challenjour, we play this game because we enjoy it and it is not just a select few, but over 70 million of us.

And yeah, yeah... "You are not an LCS pro lmfao." I know.... don't remind me.... but even LCS pros had to start somewhere. They didn't all of a sudden get placed into Diamond 1 and they don't all play perfectly all the time either. And to them, a win or a loss still has a lot of meaning to them, just like it does to many of us.

So please, don't let "this is just a game" be an excuse to keep playing poorly in a ranked match and an excuse to not learn from it. If you don't want to learn or get better, then stay out of ranked. If you plan to go into ranked not caring if you win or lose, then stay out of ranked. That is what is normals is for.

Courtesy of an avid League of Legends Player,

Airman CompSci

93 Comments

archerno19 votes

And that is completely correct. You are allowed to have bad games, to have negative score because well- its just a game.

Sandawg9 votes

I think the issue is more that people won't even acknowledge they're doing poorly and don't try to adjust, while also blaming others for why they're failing. We're playing this game to have fun, but when people are not trying to win it ruins the experience for everyone involved. There's a difference between a negative score and blatant feeding.

Zaryelle1 votes

Yeah it's rare to have a guy who is dying a lot say 'Sorry guys having a bad game', usually instead they blame every other person on their team saying their trash and etc.

LouLuo1 votes

its not that rare. I get messages like "sorry, I fcked up." "fck me!" "ouch, my b" like every 1/3 games.

Whopper86121 votes

{quoted}

Yeah it's rare to have a guy who is dying a lot say 'Sorry guys having a bad game', usually instead they blame every other person on their team saying their trash and etc.

I literally just had a bad game as talon where i even admited "holy crap i am doing bad sorry guys can i get some help" i was replied with "F*ck no you suck" after that i just tried to roam and have fun with team but one person refused to group cause i lost lane

Whopper86121 votes

{quoted}

I think the issue is more that people won't even acknowledge they're doing poorly and don't try to adjust, while also blaming others for why they're failing. We're playing this game to have fun, but when people are not trying to win it ruins the experience for everyone involved. There's a difference between a negative score and blatant feeding.

The issue is to though ... if someone is doing bad on your team .. try to help them instead of freaking out on them that just tilts them more...

Sandawg1 votes

Of course you should help them, I don't see anything wrong with that. What I'm addressing is when people continuously make the same mistake and blame the rest of the team for "not following up" or something similar. I completely agree that you shouldn't just tell them they're bad, because that doesn't help anyone. But if someone is getting tilted from me telling them not to 1v1 when the enemy is 2 levels up on them, they probably shouldn't be talking shit.

Proxknight2 votes

It is just a game and bad games do happen but if your flaming or not even trying than yeah i would be mad too.

MrPharmD5 votes

Football is "just a game too", yet if a teammate took the ball and ran the wrong way with it on purpose to lose, they would most likely be beaten in the locker room.

LuckyAbrams1 votes

Try beaten on the field, right there. If they tried to do that, their entire team would tackle them, and then probably beat them senseless and break their legs. The other team might even jump in and "assist" with the "kill".

proud and bronze5 votes

just because a video game is important to you and matters a lot in your life doesnt mean it has to to everyone else. at the end of the day its just a stupid video game.

BlazePheonix003 votes

Well they don't have to make the 40 min. game a horrible experience for rest of us actually TRYING.

MrPharmD6 votes

That's a pretty poor reason to intentionally ruin other people's time.

It's like those people going into a vegan restaurant and throwing meat at them. If it's just a stupid video game to you, then why bother playing ranked? Why not just play normals and not have to deal with those "try hards"? Seems pretty simple.

proud and bronze3 votes

why should it ruin anyone else's time if i play a video game for fun and not take it super serious? thats the way everyone should play

Fovere4 votes

[{quoted}](name=proud and bronze,realm=NA,application-id=ZGEFLEUQ,discussion-id=XA0Lpn1R,comment-id=000300010000,timestamp=2016-06-04T16:48:07.621+0000)

why should it ruin anyone else's time if i play a video game for fun and not take it super serious? thats the way everyone should play

Becuase you are playing a competitive game with 9 other people.

Go play a bot or custom and you can do whatever you like

proud and bronze2 votes

i can play however i want anyway. sadly for you everyone can play however they want and you cant force them to play your way.

dadimplayingrn1 votes

nope you can't, but if you are in a ranked match and want to feed and troll and say "it's just a game", and "relax" i can take that as toxic and report you also, so continue to be passive aggressive and think you're some genius who know's how to play mind games, cause when i report i've yet to not get a message telling me some player has been punished.

proud and bronze2 votes

you people are crazy

MrPharmD6 votes

I feel like you can't comprehend the difference between "taking it super serious" and not playing like a total dick. One ruins other people's time. The other doesn't. I'm sorry that you aren't intelligent enough to realize the difference. But I highly doubt that you act the same way when not behind a computer screen. If you do, I'm going to guess you don't have much going for ya.

proud and bronze2 votes

now your toxicity is showing itself. this is why you should play for fun. you will be a lot happier if you can relax a bit.

Zaryelle5 votes

@PROUD You're clearly one who abuses the phrases 'relax' and it's just a game to dismiss and enrage people who are already mad at you for trolling

Aír1 votes

Well, for me, fun IS playing it seriously. I love it when we work together and make play happen, when we have a perfect game, when we win. It is why I enjoy ranked so much.

Until people refuse to cooperate or feed and refuse to learn from it. Because to them it is "Just a game" and therefore doesn't give them a reason to try. Some of us have different ways to have fun. Just because you have one way doesn't mean that is how everyone does.

Zaryelle2 votes

Yeah honestly if you play this game a lot, there's not a huge difference between 'playing for fun' and 'playing seriously', if I'm playing seriously I will probably cs slightly better and ward more often, and the trolls just use 'playing for fun' as an excuse to feed and generally screw the team. It's one thing if they're just bad, but that's not usually the case

LuckyAbrams1 votes

Even better, they should never leave bot games. Ever.

TNHA Baritone4 votes

This is SO true! RANKED is different from normals. GO FUCK AND AND FEED THERE. Don't do it in ranked, okay fine, they had a bad game but when someone types "It's just a game" that makes me feel like I've been pulling a fucking anvil on my own while someone else didnt even try.

Sometimes I wish for a New Report Catagory: Purposeful Throwing / Lack of effort <required explanation>

But then it's impossible to prove or disprove those things.

Aír3 votes

Thanks mate. :)

Sandawg3 votes

I don't think this should even be an attitude in normals. Just because there is no rank associated, it doesn't mean that people playing normal games should not try their best to win. If they want to troll and feed they should go make a custom game, because the rest of us are trying to actually PLAY THE GAME.

Aír1 votes

Well, there are still casuals in this game who want to try various things or have varying definitions of what "fun" is to them in this game.

So while for me, being serious is fun, for others, trolling is as equally amusing. I will give them normals to do that, but ranked I must say it is off limits for any type of foul play toward your own team. It is go time. Some of us truly do want to try to climb in the ranks as high as we can.

Fovere4 votes

Completely agree.

People never used to say that, even in normals. I had never even heard "its just a norm" til maybe S3.

It's just a game.

That means you're here voluntarily, using your own free time in a structured environment with specific rules and purpose.

If you aren't coming to League to play the game, which means applying basic mechanics and strategy with the ultimate goal of winning, then why the hell are you playing? The "fun" in League is synonymous with gameplay.

Anything else is just griefing/trolling teammates, wasting 9 other people's time so you can, what? Pretend this is minecraft and you can do what you want?

zacktootall3 votes

thank you for putting this in to the words i couldn't cuz rage. i mean it thank you.

Aír2 votes

I appreciate it, mate. xD

I just hope this will help some people understand that this game does mean something to a lot of people. It means a lot to me. I love this game more than anything and playing it seriously is what I enjoy the most, especially if we win (naturally). And when people who are legitimately casual and don't give a f*** about winning just ruin the game for so many people. How people like that got to plat 5 is beyond me.

Cuff Me Daddy2 votes

It's just a game tbh don't be so mad bro

MrPharmD3 votes

From my experience with sports, only bench-warmers say that to be honest.

Pandemic Punch1 votes

Sounds like the only sports you ever played were from your couch.

MrPharmD4 votes

Nope. But nice try ;)

I've never heard any good player say, "it's just a game lel" after losing...especially if they're the reason the game was lost.

Cuff Me Daddy2 votes

{quoted}

Nope. But nice try ;)

I've never heard any good player say, "it's just a game lel" after losing...especially if they're the reason the game was lost.

I and all of my higher diamond friends say it all the time as does 2 of my master friends and a challenger friend. Please

JamesTiedye2 votes

Silver 1 and playing with high diamond and master AND a challenger player,highly doubt it

Cuff Me Daddy1 votes

{quoted}

Silver 1 and playing with high diamond and master AND a challenger player,highly doubt it

Check my stats, I'm a high diamond smurf. Do some research. It's called smurfing.

JamesTiedye1 votes

why would you comment on a smurf,if you really wanted to show me you'd use your main

Cuff Me Daddy1 votes

Wrong.

dadimplayingrn1 votes

i'm the owner of a massive club with high elo players and have never heard any of them say it's just a game, when playing ranked.

it's like going to your job and saying " it's just a job i can get a new one, so why not punch my boss in the face? it's just a job" when some people actually go to work to get somewhere in life. same thing with league, don't play if you're just gonna be that person that needs to make others tilt and stoop to your level cause you're having a bad day or being bad at the game cause you find it fun. play normals, i don't understand why you even play video games if you are just using "it's just a game" as your excuse to be bad or troll.

Cuff Me Daddy1 votes

First off nice lie. I'm sure you've heard high elo players say it before. Don't lie, Also to be honest being high elo or low elo means nothing since we're all humans with our own perspectives and you can be high or low elo and say anything. Your elo really doesn't matter when you're trying to talk about personality and what you would or would not say....

@ your example, no. Just no. Your logic is deeply flawed to the point I don't even think it's worth it to explain why. Just no....

If a person wants to say it's just a game to help themselves feel better about having a bad game then who are you to say it's wrong? What are you god? Don't act like you know what's best and what should and should not be said. Also a vast majority of the time when someone trolls it's because someone triggered it. Very few times does someone just up and troll random games for no reason saying it's just a game... If the odd person does who knows what's going on in their lives. Just stfu and move on without throwing a fit about it. If you got moral objections pick something worth the time and effort. But please don't be so unskilled with logic. It makes me lament society.

dadimplayingrn1 votes

what am i lying about? please enlighten me on what i am lying about cause everything i said i can prove

i'm sure you're a naive kid who thinks he knows what he's talking about but doesn't. anyways i've got battles to conquer rather than argue with someone with a box insight look on life. but please tell me what i'm lying about.

oh the zed club? yeah just add either accounts or go to zed mains on reddit. i'm all of that too. but hey prove that i'm lying, and when you try to i'll just shut you down. so please humor me and reddit.

SmokedAlmonds2 votes

I tend to think most people who say things like "it's just a game" are using it as a different way to say chill out rather than it being some declaration that they aren't trying to win. It is something people say when they get defensive to try and defuse tension. It is a statement about someone else's attitude in the game, not their own.

That said, it is a counter productive thing to say. People do not chill out when they are agitated when someone says so.

Unlimited Ninja2 votes

I understand that it is just a game in Normals and I really don't care if i win or lose, but in Ranked, it really does matter to people.

RoodToob1 votes

I think the "Its just a game" comes for people trying to rage/flame at them. Yes this matters to you, they didn't intentionally go and play horribly, your flame will only make them feel worse.

So, its just a game, as in, "please stop flamming me" is what i think they mean

Aír2 votes

Well, I was never raging the person. In fact, because of how important this game is to me, I have made myself control my anger and such since I know flaming only makes my teammates play worse. I try to be supportive and generous. And when I have a bad game, I always admit at the end (or even during the game) that I made a mistake and "this" is what I could have done better. Rather than not giving a fuck about it.

I can understand this sort of behavior in normals where people can legit chill, but in ranked its go time. That is why I don't bother anyone in normals about it, what so ever (just like I don't care about when people try to surrender in normals).

RoodToob2 votes

Well then, all i can really say is I love your attitude [slayer-pantheon-thumbs]

Elisheva1 votes

It's just a game. If it meant anything whatsoever, it would be more necessary to rage, but it doesn't, so it's not.

Aír2 votes

Quite the contrary, actually. Everyone knows that being rude or mean to your teammates and raging or flaming them will reduce your chances of winning. Because this game is so important to me, I improved my attitude and anger in the game so as to not negatively impact my teammates in game regardless of how poorly one might be doing. If someone does do poorly, only being supportive and forgiving can one potentially untilt one's self in the course of a game.

More from Player Behavior

The indefinite banning of Tyler1
Player Behavior4,799 comments
2,942
votes
14 day ban because playing Nunu Support with Smite is "stealing other people's roles"...?
Player Behavior1,525 comments
1,086
votes
Riot should add monthly status cards
Player Behavior241 comments
843
votes
Reminder that we haven't gotten our Summoner report cards yet :/
Player Behavior145 comments
619
votes
I'm not "triggered" by you throwing insults.
Player Behavior361 comments
548
votes
Black Alistar, King Rammus!!!!
Player Behavior462 comments
503
votes

More by Aír

Can we create a warning box before someone bans a champ your team wants to play?
Gameplay97 comments
249
votes
Cactopus, I love you...
Memes & Games62 comments
121
votes
Roaming as sup for extended periods of time or supporting other lanes cannot be a bannable offense
Player Behavior135 comments
118
votes
[Poll] Do you think towers do too little damage?
Gameplay112 comments
71
votes
"I spent a couple dozen dollars on hextech boxes and still got no new Vayne skin. What a scam."
Memes & Games65 comments
58
votes
How I picture Shyvanna with a young J4
Memes & Games27 comments
53
votes